Inspiration or Perspiration

Here’s a picture of our gazebo after a recent snowstorm in the Northeast where I live. The snow has since melted because of a few warm and rainy days, but I hope it will look like that again soon.

Winter is a great season for an author (or an avid reader, for that matter). It’s a time to hunker down in bad weather and concentrate on the tasks we love most.

Writing is one of the pursuits I love the most. But it’s not always easy. The words don’t always appear magically on the page.

I recently heard a fellow fiction writer quote Thomas Edison. The message can apply to writers and non-writers alike.

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A Healthy Addiction to Books

If you’re like me, you look forward to the time of day when you read for pleasure. I enjoy meeting people who are avid readers.


These are the ones who steal glances at cover jackets whenever seeing someone else reading. They ignore the trinkets and furniture at yard sales as they rummage through piles of dusty old books. Bookstores are a mandatory stop while shopping. They subscribe to a half-dozen online promotional sites offering discounted ebooks.

In the book publishing business, these people are called whales. They consume far more books than the typical person. When it comes to word of mouth, whale readers are priceless. They will tell everyone what they are reading and post detailed reviews.

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